A tragic shark attack has claimed the life of an experienced open water swimmer on South Africa’s eastern coast, marking the country’s first recorded fatal shark encounter of the year. The victim, 65-year-old Janine Lochrenberg, was attacked on Tuesday morning while swimming with her local open water club at Orient Beach in KuGompo City, previously known as East London, according to local authorities and witness accounts.
The incident unfolded around 8 a.m. local time, when Lochrenberg was on her regular daily morning swim. Fellow club members immediately rushed to her aid after the shark struck, pulling her toward the shore. But witnesses confirmed she suffered two severe bite wounds to her upper arm and thigh, and succumbed to her injuries before the group could get her out of the water. Notably, Lochrenberg had been wearing a magnetic shark repellent ankle band at the time of the attack, one of her fellow swimmers shared with the BBC.
Lochrenberg’s sister, Margot Lochrenberg, told the BBC she was able to hold her sister’s head as the group brought her body to shore. She confirmed that Janine was well aware of the increased shark activity documented in the East London area in recent months, but had long embraced the risk out of her profound connection to the ocean. “She’d made peace with that. She had a deep affinity with the water and was a remarkable person,” Margot said.
Barbara Briceland, Lochrenberg’s life partner, remembered the retired medical physicist as an accomplished, adventurous swimmer who often ventured far out into the breaking waves. “She was highly intelligent, lots of fun, kind, in a quietish way, thoughtful, well-loved with a love of life,” Briceland told reporters. She added that the couple had been excitedly preparing for a three-week cross-country road trip, a long-planned retirement adventure that was set to begin just days after the attack.
Data from the Florida Museum’s International Shark Attack File underscores how rare fatal shark encounters are in South African waters; fewer than 10 deadly attacks have been recorded across the country since 2012. In response to the incident, local authorities have temporarily closed Orient Beach and a second adjacent beach to all recreational activity as a precautionary measure, while investigations into the encounter continue.